On September 11, 2011, the ten year anniversary of that dreadful, heartbreaking day, I spent most that day on a website dedicated to online memorials for those that perished in the two towers. It was emotionally draining and crippling, but something, on that day, I needed to do.
I can hardly believe it has been another eight years since then.
On this day in 2001, I will never forget watching the buildings collapse on television. It was…mind boggling. The television was on at work and we were all glued to the coverage. I can still hear Peter Jennings in my head.
The night before, my friends and I had been at the mall shopping for a European trip we were taking in October. We never imagined what the next day would bring. If there was any innocence left on September 10th, it was definitely gone forever on the 11th
I had taken the bus that morning and being on the West Coast the news was already coming in. Eventually, my job at the time, dismissed us for the day, knowing there was no work getting done, and those in charge there just as stunned as we were. A friend drove me home. I watched the news nonstop the rest of the day, emotionally wrecked and distraught.
There are things you never forget if you lived through them. The Riots here after the Rodney King thing, OJ Simpson’s being exonerated even though we knew he was guilty, stuff like that. But it all pales in my mind and memories to September 11, 2001.
Spock
straightened away from Nyota who had motioned him over to her station so that
she could ask him what was wrong. He exchanged a look with her before stepping away.
“My
apologies, Captain,” Spock said coolly, returning to his science station.
Jim
waved that away. “Wasn’t just you.”
Sulu and
Chekov rather pointedly stared straight ahead.
“Mr. Chekov,
you’re part of the landing party. Lieutenant Uhura, please have Doctor McCoy,
Mr. Hendorff, and Mr. Scott meet us at the transporter room.” Jim rose from his
chair and headed for the turbolift, following by Chekov. “You have the command,
Spock.”
“Captain.”
He
stopped but didn’t turn around. “Yeah?”
“During
our prior meetings regarding this mission, it was concluded that I would be an
asset on the landing party.”
“I’ve
decided to have Chekov in your place. He could use the science experience.” Jim
turned then to gaze at Spock, expression schooled and blank. “Is that a
problem, Mister Spock?”
“No,
Captain.”
Jim
nodded and entered the turbolift as did Chekov and the doors closed.
Nyota
approached him. “What was that?”
Spock
exhaled. “I do not know.”
Much
later after the landing party returned, Spock went to the medbay. Surprisingly,
it was not Jim who had been injured, but Chekov and Hendorff. But Jim stood by
the biobed next to the ensign while McCoy examined him.
“Reporting,
Captain. The situation is stable.”
“Good,” the
captain replied. “You okay, Chekov?”
“Yes,
sir.”
Without
even looking in Spock’s direction, Jim went over to the biobed with Hendorff.
Nurse Chapel was with him. Spock followed.
“Good
work down there, Lieutenant.”
“Glad to
be of service, Captain.”
“Extra service
today.”
“Oh?”
Spock asked politely.
Hendorff
shrugged. “Nothing, Commander. They were just going to take the captain hostage
and I prevented it.”
“And got
injured in the process,” Jim added. “I’ll put an accommodation in your file.
How is he?” He directed this at Chapel.
“He’ll
be fine. Few days of rest, he’ll be good as new.”
Jim
smiled and nodded, turning away and heading for the exit.
Spock
followed.
Jim
stopped just outside the medbay doors turning, toward him/ “I’m off duty so I’m
headed for my quarters.”
“You
definitely could use some rest.”
“Yeah.
Why aren’t you on the bridge?”
“Mr.
Sulu is in charge at the moment, but I’m on my way there. Chess later?”
The
captain didn’t respond at first and Spock got the oddest feeling he was
counting to ten in his head. But then he very slowly let out a breath.
“Okay.
Sure. Why not? Twenty-one hundred. My quarters.”
“I will
be there.”
Jim
started to turn away, but then stopped. “You know what? Scratch that. How about
the rec room instead?”
“The…rec
room?” They had not played chess there in months. Jim preferred relaxing in his
quarts and frankly, so did Spock.
“Yeah.
We should socialize more with the crew, I think. Put in an appearance of a
united front. That kind of thing.”
“As you
wish, Captain.”
Jim
offered him a smile but it was brittle and Spock knew with absolute certainty he
had failed some kind of Kirk test.
I said something about finishing The Ties That Bind. Er…I finished THAT story on August 15th! Lord save me from myself.
Really what is up next for updates is the kid story, Our So-Called Life. So, once I do the new chapter of Stranded 3 and Orchestral Maneuvers, THAT will be next.
None of that will be done before I finish September, October and November. The very good news is I have ONE story left for October. And one conclusion to write on the Wednesday flashes appearing this month. Then I move onto November. The Friday flashes for November are done but none of the Wednesday ones (4 of those). But I did finish my AOS OMS story to debut on AOS in November. Wooh.
Then one more quarter of my brain will be restored and I will have 3/4s to work on other stuff. Yah….
I am currently working on the second to the last flash for October. This is the Wednesday flashes as I had already finished the Friday ones. Soon, October will be scheduled completely and in the bag.
For November, all my Friday flashes are done and scheduled. I need to finish my OMS story for posting for the challenge in November on A03 and then I will move on to my OMS Wednesday flashes for November. There are four Wednesdays in November.
Whew. Once that is all done, which I hope is this week, I will have everything written for October and November and so can than move on to updating another story on AO3. December stuff can wait just a bit.
I did manage to update The Space in My Bed. When I do update it will probably be Stranded 3, but we shall see.
In other news, the Insurance did pay us for the garage door, so now we have to order the door and wait until that comes in before we can get it installed. We’ve been told it can take a month! It’s never easy! But the insurance paying was good news.
I expect my current continuing Wednesday flashes to be done by the end of September. So…
In October, Wednesday flashes will be taken over by Autumn/Halloween themed flashes, beginning October 02 and continuing through October 30. I will try not to make them too spooky. I have already written and scheduled the October 02 and October 09 and can advise that the first is not scary at all, though the second one might be to the fainted-hearted. Anyway, you can look forward to those.
In November, in honor of OMS month (Old Married Spirk), Wednesdays flashes will be taken over by the TOS Spirk guys from November 06-November 27 (Wednesdays).
Decembers will be…well yeah, 25 Days of Christmas/Holidays. Ugh. LOL.
I will revisit what I will do for flashes for 2020 in January. But this is your notification for the rest of the year. And yes, I might be insane. But you knew that.
Today’s Song Inspirations is You Sang to Me by Marc Anthony
Jim woke up with a bitch of a headache. He
supposed that was what he got for trying to drown his feelings in far too much
alcohol.
Lying in the bed next to him, head currently
turned in the other direction so Jim couldn’t see his face, was his first
officer.
Spock.
And wasn’t that an interesting end to the
night. Morning. Whatever.
The sliding glass door of the hotel room was
open and Jim could hear the waves lapping against the shore from his place on
the bed.
Damn, he loved shore leave.
He hadn’t before, to be honest. Spock had to
talk him into even going on shore leave, and worse than that, Spock hadn’t
intended to go. Until Jim had called him down.
Spock came too.
Jim had needed…well Spock, actually. The
comfort of Spock. Jim didn’t know when Spock had become that for him, but he
didn’t question it.
Jim had been sitting in the hotel bar, drinking
way too much, and alone besides, when he’d checked his messages and saw one
from his mom. Frank had died. And wow, that had filled him with a dozen
different feelings.
Suddenly he hadn’t wanted to be alone. Not at
all. And he’d taken out his communicator and stared at the contact for Leonard
McCoy.
But no. Bones wouldn’t do it.
He’d wanted Spock. Needed him. More than taking
his own next breath, he’d wanted the man, er Vulcan, he loved more than
anything or anyone in the entire Universe, there with him.
Spock had made it there, too, in under ten
minutes. Jim had timed him while he anxiously waited.
Jim had fallen into Spock’s startled arms,
letting loose of a billion different feelings. Crying and sniveling all over
the Vulcan, until Spock got him out of the bar and back to his hotel room,
making him coffee, and listening, quite patiently, to every word Jim said.
Spock had been unexpectedly philosophical,
speaking of life, truth, and being free. And Jim was. He was free of Frank and
all the memories at last.
Then as Spock lapsed into silence, suddenly
seeming to be out of words, Jim looked deep into those brown eyes and his heart
nearly beat out of his chest.
“You…”
“Jim?”
“I can’t believe I didn’t realize.”
“Realize?”
Jim had risen from where he sat in a chair and
rushed at Spock. The Vulcan, to his credit, had not moved away. He stood his
ground and stared right back at Jim.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
And Spock kissed back. Boy did he ever kiss
back.
Jim had felt so much love, so much passion.
Even now he could hardly believe he’d never seen it in Spock’s eyes before,
because it definitely was there.
So much so that it was as if Spock sang to him.
Jim carefully rose from the bed, trying not to
disturb Spock after the night they’d had, and took a few steps over to the door
that led outside. He had no clothes on, but no one could see him from where he
stood. All that was around them was the ocean of the planet where they had
shore leave. Jim had chosen this particular room for that reason. No one around
him at all.
It promised to be a beautiful sunny day. Made
more beautiful with the realization that Spock returned every one of Jim’s
feelings. And more, perhaps.
Best of all, there was just the slightest buzz
in his brain that had nothing to do with the hangover. It flickered, warmed, and
then lit up, as the Vulcan himself opened his eyes.
Jim turned toward the bed. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Jim.” Spock sat up, wiping his
face with his hand. “You are standing before the open door with no clothes on.”
“Yep.”
Spock looked uncertain. “Jim, I—”
“You can’t take it back,” Jim said in a rush.
That earned him that famous raised eyebrow. “I
did not intend to take it back.”
“Good. Because I’m crazy for your love. Okay.”
He laughed. “Maybe just crazy. But damn, Spock, you’re amazing. And when you
melded us—”
“You are all right?”
“More than. You live inside me now.” Jim
exhaled. “I feel it. I feel you. And all that you feel. And I never want to be
without that, without you…again.”
He returned to the bed then, to kiss Spock,
because his beautiful love was looking vaguely befuddled, and it was such an
endearing look. He kissed him thoroughly.
“I’m hopelessly in love with you.”
“That is indeed excellent news because as you
are keenly aware, I love you as well.”
Oh yeah, he was. Every time Spock thrust within
him, he had punctuated it with “I love you”. It was glorious. Jim would
remember it for all his days.
“However—”
Jim stopped those words with his fingers,
shaking his head.
“If you were incapacitated due to alcohol—”
“No. I wasn’t. You had sobered me up enough. I
fully consented. And since we still have three more fantastic days of shore
leave, I intend to full consent frequently.”
Spock’s lips twitched. “I did not anticipate an
eagerness to engage in shore leave.”
Jim cupped Spock’s jaw as he leaned in for
another kiss. “I’m sorry I didn’t see what was right in front of me until now.”
“It was in front of both of us.” Spock started
to push him down on the bed.
“Wait! How about outside, on the beach? No one
is around.”
“Sand between our cheeks?” Spock shook his
head. “No. Perhaps a walk later after you have decided to rest from your
consenting.”
Jim grinned. “You’re on. Sing to me.”
Spock frowned. “Sing, Captain? But I lack the
skills associated with—”
Jim laughed and drew him down for a kiss. He didn’t let him up for air for quite some time.
I’m working on other updates (getting my Fall Spirk’s flashes done through November, I got next Wednesday’s flash done, and there are some other things I’d like to get taken care of writing-wise) so this basically means a short wait for the next AO3 update, which will be The Space in My Bed, before another update for Stranded 3. Those might be pushed to Sunday and beyond into next week. But you can expect the first song flash tomorrow.
Saturday afternoon and evening I will be at the sister’s. She’s having wood floors put into her house next week so we’re going there Saturday to help her pack some stuff up as a result. We’ll have dinner and sit out on her patio afterward. We will consider it the last hurrah of Summer even though we can expect it to remain quite warm here.
Still working on the garage door stuff. We had the last estimate yesterday of four estimates. We’ve submitted everything to insurance and are just waiting. All these places have to order a door which can take additional weeks until we can get it done so we are hoping we can get that ordered soon. Nothing is ever simple, is it?
So I’m going to be slowing down a bit on AO3 updates so I can get all the stuff done on here too. So please bear with me. I have just two chapters left of Didn’t We Almost Have it All (And I absolutely know how I want to end it) and though I could write on them forever, on the other hand, it’s not fair to those who want their firm happy ending. So look for that soonish as well as the ending of The Ties That Bind and possibly Nine Lives. All good things must come to an end, don’t you think? So while I work on millions of other things, look for those too. Hopefully I can keep my sanity!
I am thinking…just thinking at this point…mind you…of doing the 25 Days of Christmas/Holidays on my blog from December 01-25. Every Friday would still be related to my other guys as we’ve already discussed, so this would be a holiday flash for every other day in December through the 25th.
IF there is an interest.
IF there is, and there’s anything specific you’d like to see here for those days, IF they happen, please let me know in the comments.
As you will see, things do not go so well for our clueless Vulcan. Wonder what’s up!
After he
left Nyota’s quarters, Spock went to their captain’s, but there had been no
answer. Spock felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. He was not certain
he was at all prepared to acknowledge the possibility that Nyota’s speculation
might be correct. But he also found those occasions when he spent time with the
captain to be preferable to making do with merely himself.
He had
not made any specific plans to see Jim, however, anticipating spending his
evening with Nyota, so he had no right to feel that Jim should have been there
to see Spock.
The next
morning, Spock stopped by the captain’s quarters as was his usual practice on
the way to the mess for breakfast. There was no response to his attempt to
rouse his captain.
With a
slight frown, Spock stepped over to the computer on the wall. “Computer, locate
Captain James Kirk.”
“Captain
Kirk is in the mess room, Deck 7.”
Spock
knew that he was not late, but knowing Jim’s sleep patterns were often not
ideal, he made his way to Deck 7 and the mess.
There he
found Jim sitting in a corner at a table reserved for only two, which was not
at all his usual practice. But as Spock approached, Jim’s gaze flicked up to
Spock’s face and it gave Spock no little pause.
There
was absolute blankness there. Not sorrow, not anger, not happiness. No emotion
at all. Which was also unlike Jim.
Still,
Spock was used to both having breakfast with Jim and his mood swings, so he
made to take the seat opposite Jim.
“Good
morning, Captain.”
He
expected Jim’s usual banter or perhaps a reminder to call him Jim, but instead
he got a curt, “Commander.”
Spock’s
uneasiness grew, but he quelled it for the moment. “I was surprised you had
already left for breakfast.”
“Were
you?”
“You generally
wait for me.”
The
captain nodded. “Didn’t feel the need. And I’m done, actually, so if you’ll
excuse me…”
His gaze
swept over Jim’s mostly untouched food. Jim never left food. Not long after
their fight with Krall, while still on Yorktown, Jim had confessed to Spock one
night over chess that he’d been on Tarsus and wasting food was anathema to him.
“Jim…”
But the
captain was standing and pushing back his chair. “I’ll see you the bridge,
Mister Spock.”
Spock
nodded, tamping down his unease once more. “Chess to—”
“No.”
“You are
busy?”
“No. I
just don’t want to. Bridge, Mister Spock.”
And then
Jim was gone and Spock was left staring at his uneaten food.
Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto) 